A Separation

Review by Tanner Wright

The short:

A family is thrown into turmoil as tensions between reverence for the past and hope for the future collide in this Oscar-winning Iranian film.

The long:

Simin longs to leave Iran with her husband Nader in search of a brighter future for their daughter, Termeh. Nader, committed to caring for his aging father who suffers from Alzheimers, refuses to leave, leading Simin to file for divorce. When a local judge refuses to grant Simin the divorce she has requested, the family turmoil bubbles over as Nader searches for someone to help him care for his father in Simin’s absence. The events that follow paint an intricate and emotionally gripping portrait of the tensions between class, religion, gender, justice, and hope in modern Iranian society. 

To watch or not to watch:

Watch! Widely heralded as one of the best films of the last decade by critics throughout the world, director Asghar Farhadi has produced a thoughtful, engaging, and beautiful film that will leave you with questions far beyond the plot itself.